http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/eur/2016/2389

Council Regulation (EU) 2016/2389

of 19 December 2016

amending Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013 opening and providing for the management of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and industrial products

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 31 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

In order to ensure the sufficient and uninterrupted supply of certain goods insufficiently produced in the Union and to avoid disturbances on the market for certain agricultural and industrial products, autonomous tariff quotas were opened by Council Regulation (EU) No 1388/20131. Products within those tariff quotas can be imported into the Union at reduced or zero duty rates. For those reasons, it is necessary to open, with effect from 1 January 2017, tariff quotas at zero duty rates for an appropriate volume as regards eleven new products.

(2)

In certain cases, the existing autonomous tariff quotas of the Union should be adapted. In the case of eleven products, the TARIC codes should be changed in view of the classification changes in the Combined Nomenclature set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/18212. For two products, the product description should be amended for clarification purposes and in order to take into account the most recent product developments. In the case of one product, the quota volumes should be increased in the interests of economic operators of the Union. In two cases, the quota volume should be decreased.

(3)

In the case of six products, the autonomous tariff quotas of the Union should be closed with effect from 1 January 2017, as it is not in the Union’s interest to maintain those quotas as from that date.

(4)

In the interests of clarity, and taking into account the number of amendments to be made, the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013 should be replaced.

(5)

Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(6)

As the changes regarding the tariff quotas for the products concerned provided for in this Regulation have to apply from 1 January 2017, this Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: